Manitoba to Replace Band Constables After Ottawa Axes Program

Manitoba is introducing a new policing model to replace front-line band constables on 31 of the province’s first nations with specifically-trained safety officers.

The federal Band Constable Program will end in March, and the province’s NDP government introduced a bill on Wednesday to replace the program.

“This is an opportunity to work with First Nations and the Government of Canada to replace the federal program with a more appropriate model, tailored to the specific needs of individual First Nations communities,” said Justice Minister James Allum.

The funding model for the new program with the federal government and First Nations will be finalized in the coming weeks.